


fruitbooter (derogatory)

by Cones_McMurphy



Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: Alex is a blader AU, Alex is a stubborn bitch, Enemies to Lovers, I tried my best though, M/M, also idiots to lovers, google and urban dictionary posts from 2005 can only teach me so much, if anyone who is actually a skater reads this I apologize in advance, juke are dating in this but it's just in the background, so I am sure I misused some terms here, so i'm not tagging it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-04
Updated: 2021-01-21
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:28:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27813052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cones_McMurphy/pseuds/Cones_McMurphy
Summary: Alex is a roller blader. Willie is a skateboarder. This skatepark isn't big enough for the two of them.
Relationships: Alex/Willie (Julie and The Phantoms)
Comments: 41
Kudos: 237





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is an absolute shitpost of a fic and I hope you enjoy it.

Alex groaned as he pulled up to the skatepark. Willie and his gang of skateboarding hooligans were already there. _Ugh._ Alex hated most skateboarders, as they all seemed to have the same careless, Too Cool For School attitude. But he hated Willie more than most, ever since that fateful day almost a year ago, when they met on the sidewalk outside the skatepark, and Willie had run him over. 

_It was a beautiful day in early spring, and Alex had decided to spend it outside, engaging in his favorite activity after playing drums: roller blading. The park across town had just been renovated, and Alex couldn’t wait to be one of the first to try out the new ramps. He hopped out of his car and ran to the fence without bothering to put his skates on, just to look._

_No sooner had he stepped up onto the sidewalk than something very heavy moving very fast collided with him, knocking him to the ground. He wheezed, trying to catch his breath after the impact, before pulling himself to his feet, to come face to face with a boarder. Of course. Only a boarder would be arrogant enough to skate outside of the park._

_“Ah man,” The boarder said regretfully. “Ah, you dinged my board!"_

_“I dinged your board?! Dude, you ran me over!” Alex snapped immediately. Leave it to a skateboarder to not even care that he knocked someone over. “The least you could do is apologize.”_

_The boy looked up at Alex with wide, seemingly confused eyes, but didn’t speak._

_“What? Is that too hard for you, woodpusher?” Alex glared._

_“Uh.” Came the quiet, unbothered response. “Sorry.”_

_Alex scoffed. “Sounds like you really mean it.” And with that he stormed back to his car, slamming the door behind him for effect._

Willie had been the bane of Alex’s existence ever since, and in fact, Alex couldn’t think of a single person he hated more than he hated Willie. He hated that he even knew Willie’s stupid name. He hated that he even had to spend time thinking about Willie. He hated that Willie was always at the skatepark when Alex wanted to blade. He hated Willie’s stupid skater friends who liked to make fun of bladers. He hated Willie’s stupid man-buns and his obnoxiously bright tie-dye shirts. 

So, of course, Willie and his stupid board and his stupid long hair and his stupid skater friends were _always_ there at the skatepark, being loud and obnoxious and stupid, and getting in the way when Alex wanted to blade. He huffed as he got out of his car and pulled on his blades. Maybe if he didn’t provoke them, they would leave him alone. It was a big skatepark, after all, and the boarders seemed to be sticking to the bowl in the middle of the park. 

He bladed through the gate, but didn’t go much further, warming up on the ramps closest to the edge of the park. The gang of boarders didn't seem to notice him, and for the first few minutes, he thought he might get through a trip to the skatepark without incident, so he gathered up the courage to grab one of the wooden grind boxes. No sooner had he done so when he heard that stupid, obnoxious voice yelling at him. 

“Hey! _”_ Willie yelled out from the bottom of the stairs he'd just grinded down. 

Alex didn’t respond, and instead focused on building up speed before his own grind. Maybe if pretended not to hear, Willie would leave him alone. Unfortunately, he had no such luck. Instead of leaving him alone, Willie walked right over to him. 

“Hey, _fruitbooter,_ I’m talking to you,” Willie said sharply. 

“And I’m not listening,” Alex snapped, still not stopping. At first, he thought he was impressing Willie, with the way the boy was watching him, and then all at once, he realized the opposite was true. In seconds the grind box fell apart, one screw after another popping out until the wood panels were no longer connected, and Alex was flat on his ass. 

“Yeah,” Willie grimaced, and offered Alex a hand up. “I just came over here to tell you that the grind box has some loose screws.” 

“Whatever.” Alex ignored Willie’s hand, scrambling to his feet on his own, and trying his best to ignore the laughter coming from Willie’s friends. He could feel himself flushing with embarrassment. “I’m leaving, hope I _don’t_ see you around, _woodpusher_.” 

Alex bladed back to his car, ripped off his skates, didn’t bother to put his shoes back on, and drove home with his jaw clenched the whole time. He threw his skates down angrily as soon as he walked in the door to the apartment he shared with Luke and Reggie. Reggie was seated at their rickety kitchen table, textbook open in front of him. He looked up as soon as Alex walked in. 

“Let me guess, Willie was there?” Reggie asked with a raised eyebrow and a nod towards Alex’s shoeless feet. “Someone’s steamed up.” 

“I can’t fucking stand him!” Alex shouted. “Stupid smug skateboarder.” 

“Mmhmm,” Reggie nodded. “What happened this time?” 

Alex grabbed the tea kettle and filled it, slamming it down on the stove before he could contain himself long enough to speak again. “The grind box broke, and I fell, and he comes over like ‘I tried to warn you’ like the smug asshole he is, and--” 

“You’re mad that he tried to keep you from wiping out?” Reggie smirked, homework now completely forgotten. 

“Well--I mean--That’s not the point, Reginald!” Alex huffed, pulling a mug and a tea bag from the cabinet. “All his friends laughed at me! I looked like a complete idiot!” 

“Okay, sure,” Reggie acquiesced, “But that’s not his fault. He _tried_ to warn you.” 

Alex glared at his friend. “Who’s side are you on?” 

“Yours, of course,” Reggie insisted. “But did _he_ laugh at you?” 

Alex pursed his lips. “Well. No.” 

“So, then...what did he actually do wrong?” Reggie prodded. “Unless, perhaps, you’re misdirecting your anger?” 

Alex groaned. “God, you have become _exponentially_ more annoying ever since you decided to study psychology.” 

“I’m right though,” Reggie grinned.

“Right about what?” At this point, Luke emerged from his bedroom, where he had no doubt been blasting music into his earbuds. He glanced at Alex, the tea kettle, and the blades on the floor, and raised an eyebrow. 

“About Alex’s irrational hatred of Willie.” 

Luke smirked. “You mean his crush?” 

Alex scoffed. “Excuse me? Crush? On the most insufferable, obnoxious, irritating—“

“Hot.” Luke cut in. 

“Wh—He’s—that’s completely irrelevant!” 

“So you admit he’s hot?” 

Alex sputtered, red in the face. “No—I mean, that’s not—“ 

Reggie chuckled. “I think you might be on to something Lukey-poo.” 

“Oh, I’m definitely on to something,” Luke had yet to wipe the smug smirk off his face. Alex didn’t say anything, for fear of accidentally incriminating himself further, because on some level Luke wasn’t wrong. Which is to say, Willie _was_ hot. Objectively. But noticing Willie’s strong jawline, or his dark eyes, or his long, soft-looking hair did _not_ mean Alex had a crush on him. It just meant that Alex wasn’t blind. “I just don’t get what your problem with him is.” 

“I told you, he ran me over and didn’t apologize,” Alex felt himself getting huffy again. “He’s just the same as every other arrogant skateboarder.” 

“If you say so,” Reggie shrugged. “But we’ve all met him, y’know, and he seems, and don’t kill me for saying this, like a nice guy?” 

“Yeah,” Luke agreed. “He and Julie have a gen ed history class together, and we’ve all hung out a few times. It’s been fun.” 

Alex shook his head. “You guys don’t get it because you’re not skaters.” 

Reggie and Luke both rolled their eyes, practically in unison. “Right.” 

“Look, I don’t mind you guys being friends with Willie,” Alex sighed. It was true. He wasn’t completely irrational. He knew that Willie wasn’t actually Evil Incarnate. “I just personally find him very, _very_ annoying, and do not wish to ever spend time with him.” 

Reggie shrugged. “Fair enough, dude.” 

Luke didn’t look as convinced. “I still think you have a crush on him.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Game Night with the whole gang

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Willie POV

Willie sat just inside the door of the cafe, cradling his chai latte in both hands, staring out the window at the wet, rainy weather. He sighed, lifting the cup to his face and inhaling the steam. Willie hated wet weather, even though it was only drizzling, the ground would be too slick to skate, not to mention the bearing damage the water could cause his board. No, today was an afternoon to spend inside. He checked his watch, and smiled. Any minute now Julie and Flynn would show up, and his day would get a whole lot better. He sipped his latte and leaned back in his seat, content.

Julie and Flynn entered the cafe a few minutes later, already laughing about something or other, they spotted Willie immediately, and Julie headed over to the table while Flynn ordered for the both of them. Julie grinned as she sat down across from Willie.

“Guess what, guess what!.” Her cheeks were pink from the cold, and her eyes were shining. She was practically glowing with happiness, which usually meant only one thing.

Willie rolled his eyes. “I’m such a good friend for listening to you talk about your boring heterosexual romance.”

“First of all, we’re not boring,” Julie scoffed. “Second of all, we’re not heterosexual. Third of all, this isn’t even about that.”

“Oh?” Willie took another sip of his chai. “So, you’re not about to regale me with stories about Luke’s big brown eyes?”

“Shut up.”

Flynn appeared then, holding two steaming drinks. She handed one off to Julie before sliding into the seat next to Willie. “What are we talking about?”

“Luke said Reggie broke out the board games this morning!” The words practically exploded out of Julie, she was so excited.

“Game night!” Flynn was grinning now, too.

“Game night?”

“Reggie has a bunch of old board games he brought from home,” Julie explained. “Every so often he’ll bust ‘em out of the closet for game night.”

“Ah,” Willie nodded. “That makes sense.”

Flynn made a sour face. “Why don’t you sound excited?”

Willie gaped at them indignantly. “Because...I’m obviously not invited?”

“Yes, you are,” Julie shrugged. “I’m inviting you.”

“Yeah!”

“These are Reggie’s games, so I’m assuming the game night is happening at Reggie’s apartment? The one he shares with roommates, specifically a gorgeous blonde blader who absolutely hates me?” Willie couldn’t believe they were serious. If he showed up to game night, Alex would probably murder him. Like, actually. Noone would find the body.

Julie sighed. “Look. I love Alex, but you’re my friend, and I want to invite you.”

“He’s a big boy,” Flynn added. “He can deal with it.”

Willie heaved a sigh. “I don’t know...He got pretty mad last week at the skatepark.”

“Oh, when he fell on his ass?”

“Flynn!”

“I mean,” Willie shrugged. “That is what happened. I tried to warn him, but he wouldn’t listen. And then he blamed _me_ for it!”

Julie frowned, clearly conflicted.

“I just,” Willie dropped his head into his hands, his elbows on the tabletop. “I wish I knew why he hated me so much. What did I do? Is it all because I’m a skateboarder? Really?” Willie knew that he sometimes didn’t give Alex much a reason to like him, but he never went out of his way to antagonize him. He would argue back if Alex picked a fight, but only out of self defense. “I guess it figures that when I finally meet a cute guy who skates and is gay, he also actively hates me. Just my luck.”

“Look,” Flynn spoke with a reassuring firmness that she had honed from years of being a great best friend. “I don’t know why Alex hates you. Alex is one of the kindest, most thoughtful people I know, but he’s also extremely stubborn. He’s not good at accepting change. And before you were around, he had free reign of the skatepark.”

“Yeah,” Julie agreed. “Alex’ll come around, he just needs to get used to you. Which is why you coming to game night is the perfect idea.”

Willie crossed his arms. “He’ll just fight with me, I know he will. I’m not going.”

* * *

Hours later, as the sky was darkening, Willie found himself standing outside of Alex, Reggie, and Luke’s apartment, with Julie and Flynn on either side of him.

“I can’t believe you guys talked me into this.”

“It’ll be fine.” Julie squeezed his arm reassuringly, and then knocked on the door.

Luke opened the door, with a soft smile already on his lips. “Jules! You’re here!”

“Good to see you, too, Luke,” Flynn snarked.

“Hi, Flynn. Hi, Willie.” Luke greeted them with a nod, stepping back from the door to let them in.

“Hey, Luke.” Willie tried to seem casual and calm, but his stomach was in knots.

Alex looked up immediately at the sound of his voice, and his face contorted into a confused frown. “What are you doing here?”

Julie spoke before Willie could. “I invited him. He’s my friend.”

Alex made a face. “This is _my_ apartment! No boarders allowed.”

“Actually,” Luke corrected. “It’s our apartment. Besides, Reggie boards.”

“Yeah, but Reggie doesn’t count,” Alex crossed his arms. “He’s not even good.”

“Hey!”

Willie raised an eyebrow. “You think I’m good?”

“What? No,” Alex rolled his eyes. “But you can stay. Luke is right, it’s his apartment, too. He can invite whoever he wants, even if they are a woodpusher.”

“Thanks, I guess.” Willie took that to be as good of an invitation to stay as he was going to get. He let out a deep breath, somewhat relieved, and sat down on the couch.

“We were gonna start with monopoly,” Alex said to the newcomers. “That good with everyone?”

Everyone agreed.

“Can I be the dog?” Willie asked cheerfully when Reggie opened the box.

“I’m always the dog,” Alex said coldly.

“Well, then it’s someone else’s turn by now, surely,” Willie responded, knowing full well he was pushing his luck, but not ready to be a doormat. “Why don’t you be the boot, fruitbooter.”

“Just like you to just take what you want,” Alex snapped. “You’re so full of yourself--”

“It’s just a game piece,” Willie interrupted. “Calm down.”

“Calm down?” Alex was clearly seething, but before he could say anything else, Luke put a hand on his shoulder.

“Take a breath,” Luke said gently. “Just let him have the dog.”

“Fine.” Alex acquiesced reluctantly. “I’ll be the top hat. I’ll beat your ass anyway.”

Reggie, who had been quiet the whole time, glanced between Alex and Willie, and stood up from his spot on the floor. “Y’know what, monopoly isn’t my favorite. I think I’ll just sit this one out. Anyone else want snacks?”

Two and a half hours later, it was clear that Reggie had made the right decision. Willie had never played such a tight game of monopoly in his life. Usually he just let his sisters win, but Alex had been so competitive right off the bat, and Willie wasn’t about to go down without a fight. Which is how they got to where they were. One by one everyone but Willie and Alex either went bankrupt, or willingly dropped out, giving their properties to one or the other, arbitrarily. Alex had hotels on all his properties; Willie only had hotels on some of his properties, but that was all he needed, as he owned Park Place and Boardwalk.

Which Alex had just landed on. “Fuck.”

“Pay up!” Willie stuck out his hand gleefully.

“I can’t believe you gave him Park Place and Boardwalk, Luke.” Alex complained, begrudgingly handing over the cash.

Luke snorted. “I had to, you’ve got everything else.”

It was an exaggeration, but it felt true. Willie took his turn, and landed on one of Alex’s properties. _Damn it._

“Why don’t you just concede defeat?” Alex asked smugly, taking back a good chunk of the money he’d just paid.

“Never.”

Flynn groaned. “This game is gonna go on forever, isn’t it?”

Julie nodded. “Unless Alex snaps and murders Willie.”

“He might,” Luke added.

“This is why I got snacks,” Reggie said through a mouthful of popcorn. “Want some?”

The other three spectators all reached for a handful gratefully.

Willie glanced over at them. “Can I have some?”

“Popcorn snacks are for spectators only,” Reggie said, somehow managing to sound both petulant and endearing, as he often did. “I don’t make the rules.”

“You literally do.” The corners of Willie’s mouth turned up in a smile. He really liked hanging out with all these people. Willie didn’t have a lot of friends; usually, he only hung out with the other boarders at the skatepark, but he wouldn’t really call his fellow skaters friends. They just...occupied the same space. And he didn’t mind that, or at least, he didn’t think he minded much. But ever since he met Julie in his history class, and Julie had introduced him to all her friends, he’d started feeling different. He wanted to be a part of this. And maybe he could’ve been, if it wasn’t for Alex hating him.

He bit his lip, glancing across the game board at Alex, who had already taken his turn, and landed on his own property, and was now waiting (and rather impatiently tapping his fingers) for Willie to take his turn. Suddenly it hit him how _stupid_ this was. It was a fucking board game.

“Fuck it!” He said abruptly. “I quit. I concede. You win, Alex.”

Alex just stared at him. “ _What_?”

“I said, I _quit_.” Willie grinned. “Popcorn me, Reggie.”

Reggie held out the popcorn bowl towards Willie.

Alex clenched his jaw. “You can’t just quit!”

Willie stopped with his hand halfway to the popcorn bowl. “Are you seriously mad at me for letting you win? You were literally just telling me to concede.”

“It’s called trash talk, moron,” Alex still hadn’t unclenched his jaw. He looked like he might explode. “I didn’t actually want you to quit. I wanted to _beat_ you.”

“You did.”

“But not really!” Alex threw his arms up, exasperated. “That’s the point!”

“You are truly the most ridiculous person I have ever met.” Willie was dumbfounded. “You won. And you’re still pissed at me! I came here tonight to try to get to know you better, but clearly you have no interest in even _trying_ to know me. You’ve already decided who you think I am.”

Alex didn’t say anything, and his expression faltered. He seemed shocked, and maybe a little confused. Whatever.

Willie turned to Luke and Reggie, who were gaping at him. “Thank you for having me over, I’m sorry things got so heated. I’ll see you around.” He stood up and headed for the door, pausing to say goodbye to Julie and Flynn, who were wearing matching faces of disappointment.

“Sorry this didn’t work out how you guys wanted it to.”

Julie shook her head. “It’s not your fault.”

“Good for you for standing up for yourself,” Flynn added, glancing at Alex who was still silent. “I think you may have gotten through to him.”

“Yeah, well,” Willie shrugged. “We’ll see.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Local dumbass goes skating alone at night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back to Alex POV. CW: hospital mention, broken bone mention, non-graphic descriptions of pain.

The night air was frigid, but the ground had dried from the rain the week before, and that was good enough for Alex to decide to hit the skatepark. After game night, Alex couldn’t chance running into Willie. Not that he liked it much before, but now he was sure that Willie hated him even more than he must’ve before. Alex didn’t care much about Willie’s opinion of him, but he did care about the possible humiliation that Willie might have planned, to get back at him for the Monopoly Debacle. Luke said he was being ridiculous, that Willie wasn’t the type to hold grudges, and to some extent Alex knew he was right, but he also knew he’d gone too far. Reggie said that Alex should just get over himself and apologize, but that wasn’t what Alex wanted to hear. Alex may have been harsh (and a little ridiculous) that night, but he was objectively right. Winning by default is not the same as actually winning. It was the principle of the thing. 

So, instead of even remotely attempting to deal with what happened, Alex was at the skatepark at 11:45 PM, hoping that it was too cold and too late for anyone else to be there. He was gratified when he pulled up to see that the park was empty. He parked, threw on his skates, and got started. He warmed up with a few heel toes, fishtails, and wavers on flat ground, keeping things easy and simple. The park was fairly well-lit, but it was still pretty dim. Eventually he did a few grinds, and jumped a few of the smaller ramps. He’d been there about half an hour when he heard the gate open, and he looked up to see Willie entering the park. 

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” 

Willie looked up in surprise. “I didn’t expect anyone to be here.”

“Yeah, me neither.” Alex frowned. “So, why are you here so late?” 

“I just got off work,” Willie shrugged, like it was obvious. 

“Right.” Alex didn’t really want to argue with Willie, but he also didn’t want to leave. “I just came late because I thought I’d be alone.” 

“You were avoiding me.” Willie doesn’t say it like a question, and Alex’s stomach drops. 

“Didn’t work out so well, did it?” He tried to laugh it off, but Willie just stared at him. “Sorry, I just...I know things got out of hand last week. I didn’t think you’d want to see me.” 

“‘Out of hand’” Willie rolled his eyes. “That’s one way of putting it.” 

Alex winced. “Well. I was just going to do a few runs on the half-pipe.” 

“I’ll skate the bowl, then.” Willie agreed flatly, referring to one of two, but likely meaning the slightly bigger one, and taking off in that direction. 

Alex let out a deep exhale and headed for the half-pipe. He wanted to challenge himself, so he’d decided to practice his flips. He was competent, but still pretty sloppy, and he was determined to improve his form. He started by gaining some momentum, skating down from the deck, up the other side, and then back again before attempting his first flip, a front flip. For a moment, as he flew through the air, he forgot all his worries. This was what he loved about skating, the freedom, the wind blowing at your face. It felt like flying. 

He stuck the landing and repeated the process half a dozen times. It still wasn’t perfect, but improvement doesn’t happen overnight. He stopped on the deck and took a breath before starting again. He did everything the same, but this time he did a backflip. He wasn’t quite as steady with his landing, but he managed it. He did a few more, even. On this fourth backflip, something went wrong. He knew the minute he came out of the flip, he wasn’t going to make the landing, his flip wasn’t tight enough, he hadn’t made it all the way back to facing forward, everything was all off. He came down hard, landing on his left arm with a loud crack. 

For a moment, he couldn’t feel anything, except the force of it. He gasped for the breath that had been knocked out of him, trying to pull himself up, but he couldn’t. Finally he managed to sit up. And then his brain caught up with his body, and the pain hit. Horrible, searing pain, throbbing through his whole arm. He looked down and could see that it was already swollen, and bruised, and plainly didn’t look right. _Fuck_. 

He cradled his arm against his torso, groaning at the pain of the movement. “Fuck!” He yelled out loud, surprised at the roughness of his own voice. 

That’s when he heard a voice from behind him. “Dude, are you okay?” 

He turned to see Willie jogging up to the half-pipe with his board under his arm. 

“Do you care?” 

“I heard you fall,” Willie said. “It sounded bad.” 

Alex forced himself to his feet, with a slight waver. He felt nauseous. “I’m fine.”

Willie eyed him skeptically, clearly noticing the way he was cradling his arm, and the sway in his step. “I don’t think you are.”

Alex didn’t say anything. He was too embarrassed. 

“Can I see your arm?” Willie’s voice was unexpectedly gentle, almost soothing. “I work at a hospital.” 

“Seriously?”

“Why do you think I got off work at midnight?” Willie rolled his eyes. “I’m an orderly. I’m getting my bachelor’s in nursing.” 

“Oh.” Alex was in so much pain it was making his brain fuzzy, so he put his arm out without a second thought, wincing in pain as he did so. “It hurts.” 

Willie examined it carefully, feeling around where it was swollen. “Can you move your fingers?” 

Alex could, but not without effort, and pain. 

“I think your arm is broken,” Willie concluded. “You have to let me drive you to the hospital.” 

“No, no, I’ll call Luke,” Alex pulled his phone out of his jacket pocket with his good arm. 

“It’s almost one in the morning,” Willie argued, voice firm without being too forceful. “Do you really want to wake him up?” 

Alex sighed, and slid his phone back in his pocket. “I guess you’re right.”

Willie held out his hand. “Give me your keys.” 

Alex did so, and they began slowly making their way towards Alex’s car, Willie walking, and Alex gliding slowly. “Why are you helping me?” 

Willie stopped. “What do you mean?” 

“Don’t you hate me?” 

He shook his head. “No, I don’t.” 

Alex wasn’t sure what to say to that, so he stayed silent as he got into the passenger seat, and Willie unbuckled his skates, slipped them off, put on his shoes, and tied the laces. He stayed silent as Willie walked around, slid into the driver's seat, and started the car. He stayed silent until Willie had pulled out, and driven several blocks. “Why not?” 

“What do you mean?” 

“Why don’t you hate me?” 

“Ah.” Willie paused. “I guess I just try to see the good in people." 

“Oh, okay.” He really was a kind person, Alex realized. 

There was a tense silence for a few minutes, broken only by the sound of the turn indicator, until finally Willie spoke again. “Why do you hate me?” 

“I—“

“Don’t deny it.” 

Alex sighed. “Do you remember when we first met?”

“When I knocked you over?” Willie blinked incredulously. “That’s what this is about?” 

“You never apologized.” Alex tried to hide how unbelievably stupid he now felt about it. “All you cared about was your board.”

Willie pursed his lips. “Well, I should’ve apologized, that was dumb of me. I’m sorry for knocking you down.” 

Alex managed a small smile, despite the pain he was in. “Apology accepted.” 

There was another lull in the conversation, partially because Alex was too focused on the pain to think of anything else to say, and partially because of fresh awkwardness. 

“I was focused on my board because if it got damaged, there’s no way I could afford to replace it. I’ve had this board since high school.” Willie broke the silence, with a quiet explanation. “It’s actually a little too small for me at this point. I’ve bought news wheels and bearings a few times, but it would take forever for me to save up enough for a whole new board, or even a new deck.” 

“Oh.” Alex winced, but not because of the pain this time. He should've known from the worn down appearance of the board's deck. “I feel like a massive jerk now.”

“I wasn’t trying to guilt you,” Willie said hastily. “Just wanted to explain my perspective.” 

“No, yeah. I get it.” A lump began to form in Alex’s throat. “I’m sorry, though. For the assumptions I made about you. You were right, I decided who I thought you were in my head, and refused to change my mind about it.” 

Willie gave a small smile. “Apology accepted.”

Alex opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, Willie turned a corner and stopped the car. They had arrived at the hospital. Whatever Alex wanted to say to Willie would have to wait. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all your lovely comments on the previous chapters!! It really means a lot to me. <3


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a continuation of Chapter 3. Willie POV. CW: hospitals, broken bones, painkillers

Willie was exhausted. It was nearly 2:30 in the morning, and after a day that consisted of two morning classes and a full 8-hour shift, with as much homework as he could wedge in, he was sitting in a hospital waiting room. Apart from the anxiety of being at work, but not working, mostly he was just bored and tired of waiting. His phone battery was low, and even if it wasn’t, he didn’t have any earbuds on him. He bounced his leg up and down impatiently, tying to ignore the whirl of thoughts in his head. 

Alex had apologized. Alex didn’t hate him anymore. Alex was going to say something else, before they’d pulled up to the emergency room. His heart skipped a beat at thought, wondering what Alex planned to say, though he knew that at best Alex wanted to be friends now. Still, friends was way better than enemies, or whatever it was they were before. He sighed, leaned back in his chair, and closed his eyes. 

Moments later he looked up to the sound of footsteps. Alex walked out into the waiting room with a bright bubblegum pink cast, and slightly dazed smile. The pale blue hoodie he’d been wearing was now missing its left sleeve, and the combination of colors reminded Willie of cotton candy. 

“You waited.” He said softly, with a goofy smile. “Thanks.”

Willie smirked. “They gave you something for the pain, didn’t they?” 

Alex nodded. “How’d you know?” 

“Lucky guess.” Willie chuckled. “I’m exhausted, let’s get out of here.” 

“Definitely.” Alex agreed, and Willie turned toward the door with Alex following close behind. He babbled about the X-Ray machine and how he’d asked to choose the color of his cast. “You know pink is my favorite color? Usually I like pastel better, but hot pink was all they had. I mean, unless I wanted a stupid color like green.” 

“Ouch,” Willie winced. “Green is my favorite color.” 

“Crap!” Alex shook his head. “I swear I had no idea.” He was so earnest, it made Willie’s stomach swoop, even though he knew it was just because he was stoned. 

“Don’t worry,” Willie smiled reassuringly. “I won’t take it to heart.” 

“Good,” Alex said firmly. “I want us to start over, y’know? I don’t want to fight with you anymore. Or yell at you. Or any of that.” 

Willie’s smile only grew. “I want that, too.” 

“Cool.” Alex grinned. “I think, as a symbol of our new friendship, you should be the first to sign my beautiful pink cast.” 

Willie snorted. “Do you have a pen?” 

“In the car.” 

They made it to the car, and Willie helped Alex into the passenger seat, before hopping in the other side. “Where’s the pen?” 

“Cup Holder.” There was a black sharpie sitting right there. Willie grabbed it, and leaned across the console to scribble his name on Alex’s forearm. 

“What do you think?” He capped the pen and dropping it back into the cupholder.

“Perfect.”

“All good then? Buckled up?” Willie, asked as he turned the key in the ignition. 

Alex gave a thumbs up, and Willie started driving. They didn’t say much during the drive, both exhausted, and of course in Alex’s case, a little bit stoned. It wasn’t until they pulled up in front of Alex’s apartment complex, that his eyes went wide in realization. 

“How are you getting home?” His voice was full of concern. 

“I’ll board, no big deal.” Willie cut the engine. 

“Don’t you live close to the skatepark, on the other side of town?” Alex’s brows pulled together in confusion and anger.

“So?” 

“So I’m not letting you skateboard across town alone at 3 AM!” Alex nearly shouted.

Willie raised an eyebrow. “Are you worried about me?” 

“Of course I am, stupid.” Alex was getting huffy now. “It’s dangerous.” 

“I think I’m beginning to see why Reggie calls you the Mom Friend,” Willie laughed. “It’s really fine.” 

“William.” Alex crossed his arms, or attempted to, at least. “Give me one good reason you should skate home right now when we have a perfectly good couch you can sleep on.” 

Willie was quiet, for a moment, trying to think of something, anything to say. But he couldn’t. Alex was right, really. It was late, and dark, and cold, and he was _so_ tired. He sighed. “I can’t.” 

“That’s what I thought,” Alex unbuckled his seatbelt and threw open his door. “Now let’s get our asses upstairs.” 

Willie slid out of the car, grabbed his board, and came around to help Alex out. He let Alex lead him upstairs to the apartment, but he took the keys out of Alex’s hand when he attempted to unlock the door himself. He was too tired to wait for that. They stumbled in, and Alex hit the lights. Immediately Alex groaned, because the couch was occupied. 

Reggie was sound asleep (and snoring) on the couch, with a pillow under his head and a blanket draped over his shoulders, both obviously placed there by Luke. 

“Damn it,” Alex frowned. “I’m sorry, Willie.” 

“Can’t we just wake him up and put him in his bed?” Willie asked, furrowing his brow. Maybe he was so tired that he was missing something obvious. 

“It’s impossible,” Alex shook his head. “Reggie sleeps like the dead. Nothing, and I mean _nothing,_ can wake him up before he’s had his eight hours. He slept through a fire alarm when we still lived on campus.” 

“Yikes.” 

“I’d call it a super power, but it’s really annoying.” 

“Well,” Willie hesitated. “Do you think he would mind if I slept in his bed?” 

Alex grimaced. “I know how often he washes his sheets, and trust me, you do _not_ want to sleep in his bed.” 

Willie sighed, eyeing his skateboard. He _really_ didn’t want to go back out into the cold. He was so, _so_ tired. Maybe Alex would let him sleep on his bedroom floor. He opened his mouth, but Alex cut him off before he could speak. 

“This is probably the drugs talking, and I’m sure I’ll regret this in the morning but,” Alex swallowed nervously. “I have a queen bed in my room.” 

“Uh.” Willie had no idea what that meant. “What?” 

“I mean,” Alex shook his head. “It’s big enough for two.” 

Oh. “Oh.” 

“Sorry, that was probably weird,” Alex looked like he wanted to die on the spot. “I just. It's so late, and you really saved me tonight, and I thought--” 

“Alex,” Willie smiled, looking up from his board. “Calm down, man. It’s okay.” He was _so_ tired, and the thought of a warm, comfortable bed, even one he had to share was too tempting. “I am about to fall over, honestly, so if you really don’t mind, I think I’ll take you up on that.” 

Alex returned Willie’s smile, looking much more at ease, and turned back down the hallway towards his room. Willie followed quietly behind, closing the bedroom door behind him, as Alex flicked on his bedside lamp. Alex’s room was as neat and tidy as one would expect it to be, with several posters tacked up on the wall, including Whitney Houston and Britney Spears, a surprisingly cluttered desk on the left side of the room under the window, and of course, the bed on the right side of the room. His bedding set was pastel pink, because of course it was, and the bedframe, the bedside table--which held the white lamp that lit the room--was a dark chestnut which matched the desk, and the wardrobe. Alex dropped his fanny pack on his desk, and sat on the edge of his bed and kicked off his shoes. He wiggled out of his jeans, leaving him in his boxers, but didn’t bother with his newly destroyed sweatshirt. 

Willie blushed, and averted his eyes. Focusing instead on leaning his board against the wall, and kicking his own shoes off. He’d been wearing shorts that night, which weren’t denim, so he decided he’d just keep them on. Alex slid into the right side of the bed, so Willie took the left. Neither of them said anything, partially out of courtesy for his roommates, and partially out of the awkward tension that had filled the air as soon as they entered Alex’s bedroom. 

It was Alex who spoke first, after turning off the light, and plunging them into darkness. “Hey, Willie?” 

“Yeah?” 

“Thanks, for everything.” 

Willie smiled even though Alex couldn’t see him. “Don’t worry about it.” 

“Really,” Alex said emphatically. “Thank you.” 

Willie nodded, suddenly realizing that Alex wasn’t just talking about the drive to the hospital, he was talking about forgiveness. “You’re welcome.” 

Alex stretched his good arm above his head, yawned, and settled in. “Goodnight.” 

“Goodnight, Alex.” 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath

Alex woke up with a pounding headache. The sun was streaming in because, like an idiot, he’d forgotten to close his curtains the night before. He supposed it was bound to happen when you don’t get home to bed until the wee hours of the morning. He rolled over from his back onto his right side, fully intending on going back to sleep, and then he froze. There was another body next to him. Instantly, it all came flooding back to him. Willie was sleeping in his bed. He rolled over onto his back again. 

“Fuck,” his whispered to his ceiling. He listened for a moment, straining to hear the sounds from the rest of the apartment. He heard the unmistakable sounds of the coffee grinder. Luke was already up. “Double fuck.” 

He glanced at Willie’s sleeping form and shook his head.  _ What was I thinking? Oh right, I wasn’t. _ At least Willie looked peaceful. This would’ve been much worse if Willie was awake, he was  _ so _ not ready for that conversation yet. He carefully slipped out of the bed, moving slowly and quietly so as to not wake Willie. He stepped around yesterday’s jeans, and instead opted for some loose fitting sweats that would be easier to put on with his one good, but non-dominant hand. He glanced down at his now wrinkled sweatshirt and sighed. He’d need help with that. He tiptoed out of the room, closing the door gently behind him. 

He walked out into the kitchen, where Luke was pouring coffee and Reggie was eating Cap’n Crunch, and grabbed a mug for tea. 

“Morning, Alexander,” Luke said warmly. “You were out late la-” He froze as he took in the sight of Alex’s arm in a cast. “Holy shit, dude, what happened?” 

Alex shrugged. “I, uh, I fell.” 

“You broke your arm!” Reggie shouted through a mouthful of cereal. 

“Yeah.” Was Alex’s only response. 

“Why didn’t you call us?” Luke demanded, worry clear in his face. “How did you get to the hospital? You’re left-han-” But before Luke could finish his question Willie shuffled out of the hallway and into the common space. Luke froze, with his mouth hanging open. 

Reggie almost choked on his Cap’n Crunch. 

“Morning, guys,” Willie said casually, as if he hadn’t just imploded Alex’s entire existence. “Can I get some coffee?” 

Luke nodded, still speechless, and pushed the coffee pot towards Willie. 

“Mugs are in the first cabinet,” Alex informed him, before addressing his friends. “Willie was the only other person at the park when I fell. He drove me to the hospital.” 

“Right, sure,” Reggie nodded. 

“And that’s  _ all _ that happened.” Alex added. 

Willie poured himself some coffee and nodded obliviously. “Yeah, and then I crashed here because it was so late.” 

“And  _ somebody _ was passed out on the couch.” Alex couldn’t help throwing in a little extra snark. 

Reggie at least at the decency to look embarrassed. “One of you coulda slept in my bed.” 

“I know how often you wash your sheets, Reg.” Alex shook his head. “Neither I nor Willie deserve to sleep like that.” 

“You’re so rude.” Reggie frowned and turned back to his cereal box maze. 

Willie spoke in between sips of his coffee. “So, Luke, Julie told me you guys are playing a show Friday night. Mind if I come out?” 

Luke shook his head. “Sounds great.” 

Alex grinned. “Yeah, definitely!” 

“Cool.” Willie smiled shyly over the rim of his mug before taking another sip. 

Luke’s eyes widened even further, if that was even possible, and he stared at Alex. 

“What?”

Luke didn’t say anything, he just vaguely gestured at Willie when he thought Willie wasn’t looking. If Willie noticed, it was hard to tell, but he did seem to pick up on the awkwardness, finally.  He downed the last of his coffee and started rinsing the mug. “I should go.” 

“Right,” Alex agreed. “I’ll go grab your board.” He darted back to his bedroom and grabbed the board, and by the time he was back in the common space, Willie was at the door. 

“Thanks, man.” Willie grabbed his board. “See you around!” 

Reggie and Luke waved and nodded goodbye to Willie, respectively, but Alex spoke. “Thanks again for last night. See you later!”

And then Willie was gone, the door clicking shut behind him. Alex opened his mouth to explain, but he could say anything, Luke snapped out of his trance. “I fucking called it!” 

Alex groaned. “You called  _ nothing _ ! He drove me to the hospital, that’s it.” 

“ _ Thanks again for last night." _ Reggie wiggled his eyebrows, a wicked grin on his face as he mocked Alex’s words. 

“Oh my god!” Alex very nearly shrieked. “I was thanking him for taking me to the hospital!” 

Reggie raised an eyebrow questioningly, but didn’t say anything else. It was clear he didn’t believe Alex. 

“It was late. It wasn’t safe for him to skate home alone,” Alex insisted. “He lives on the other side of town.” 

“I believe you that nothing happened last night,” Luke conceded, eyeing Alex's arm, as if the impediment of a broken arm was the only reason he believed it. “But you want something to happen, don’t even try to deny it.”

“We’re friends now—" 

“You invited him to share your bed, Alex!” 

“I—Look.” Alex rubbed his temples. “Is Willie good looking? Yes. Did I realize last night that he’s a nice person? Yes. Does that automatically mean I want to date him—"

“Why not?” Reggie interrupted. 

“What do you mean?” 

“If you don’t hate him anymore, why don’t you want to date him?” Reggie shrugged. “If I was gay, I’d want to date Willie.” 

Alex blinked twice. “I just don’t like him that way.”

“Yeah, and that’s what I used to tell myself about Julie.” Luke scoffed.

* * *

Wednesday afternoon Alex found himself at the skatepark, just watching. He obviously couldn’t participate until his arm was healed, but that didn’t stop him from enjoying the spectacle of the other skaters. (And, no, he wasn’t just there to see Willie, you can’t prove anything, Luke.) 

Willie was there, of course. And he was fun to watch, of course. Alex had always been aware of Willie’s skill, and in some ways it probably made him angrier. But that was the past. Now, he found himself cheering as Willie landed a trick. 

_ Oh how the turn tables,  _ s aid a voice in his head that sounded suspiciously like Reggie. He ignored it, and pulled himself to his feet as he saw Willie skating over towards him. 

“Hey, fruitbooter!” There was no bite in the word now, and it was almost endearing. 

“Hey.” 

“Enjoying the show?” Willie took off his helmet, shook out his hair, and grinned. It was still smug, but Alex  _ had _ been enjoying the show, so he supposed the smugness was earned. 

“I’ve always thought you were a good skater,” Alex admitted. “It’s probably what pissed me off the most. I mean, you make it look effortless.” 

“Thanks.” Willie’s face flushed, and he looked down, clearly embarrassed, and hiding a smile. It was, unfortunately and undoubtedly adorable.  _ Oh no.  _

“Welcome,” Alex managed, waves of anxiety suddenly crashing down on him as he processed the new emotions Willie was bringing out in him. “You, uh, you want to show me some more?” 

Willie looked up. “I was actually just finishing up here.” 

“Oh.” Alex tried to hide his disappointment. 

“But uh, if you're not busy,” Willie added cautiously. “I was thinking of getting some boba tea?” 

“Oh!” Alex grinned. “Sounds great.” 

Willie returned Alex’s grin, and replaced his helmet. “Okay, but you have to keep up.” And with that, he took off down the street. 

Of course, Alex ran (carefully) after him. 

* * *

By the time Alex made his way home that evening, he knew he was well and truly fucked. 

“Where have you been?” Luke asked, from where he and Julie were sitting (read: probably making out before they heard Alex at the door). 

“Skatepark.” 

“This whole time?” 

“We went out for some boba, too.” Alex said, without thinking. 

“We?” Julie smirked. 

Alex blushed as red as a tomato, suddenly aware of both what he was saying and how he was saying it. “Willie and I.” 

“You guys went on a tea date?” Julie’s eyes lit up. "Did he take you to that place on Pacific?" 

“It wasn’t a date.” 

“But you wanted it to be one,” Luke inferred, and this time Alex didn't even try to deny it. He couldn't. 

“Yeah,” he sighed. “I can’t believe I didn’t see it before.” 

Luke grinned. “I love being right.” 

“Yes, honey,” Julie smiled, and patted his shoulder. “Too bad Alex had to break his arm to figure it out.” 

“Ugh,” Alex groaned at the reminder of how dumb he’d been. “I’m so screwed.”

“Why?” 

“After everything that happened? There’s no way Willie would be interested in me.” He shook his head. “It’s hopeless.”

“I wouldn’t be too sure.” Julie said. 

“You just need a big getsure,” Luke added. “Remember when I wrote that song for Julie?” 

Alex snorted. “Which one?” 

Julie whipped around to meet her boyfriend’s eyes. “You wrote more than one?” 

Luke blushed. “This isn’t about me.” 

“Yeah,” Alex said loudly. “It’s about me!” A gesture wasn’t a bad idea, but he was at a loss of what to do.

Julie ignored both of them. “I want to hear them.” 

“Jules—" Luke looked pained and embarrassed. 

She pouted. “Please?” 

Alex rolled his eyes. He’d lost them. He’d just have to figure this out on his own.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is! The final chapter! Also, for clarity's sake, Alex broke his radius very close to his wrist, so his cast doesn't go past his elbow, which is why he is able to hold his arm behind his back. There was no non-awkward way to work that into this chapter (I forgot to establish it earlier).

Willie sat on his couch, folding laundry and bopping his head to the music that was playing off his small, portable speakers. Often he would bring his speakers to the skatepark, but he had a shift at the hospital that afternoon, so he would be keeping his tunes to himself. He hummed along, trying to distract himself from the menial task at hand, when there was a knock at his door.  _ Odd _ , he thought, as it was one in the afternoon on Wednesday, he lived alone, and he hadn’t invited anyone over. He turned off his music, and hopped up to get the door. He glanced through the peephole cautiously, and smiled when he saw Alex on his front step. 

He swung the door open. “Do I want to know how you got my address?” 

Alex rolled his eyes. “Julie, duh.” 

“Right.” Willie chuckled, slightly embarrassed. “Do you, uh, want to come in?” 

Alex nodded, but didn’t move. It was then that Willie really took him in. His normally soft blue eyes were darkened with anxiety, and his hands were held stiffly behind his back. Willie resisted the urge to reach out physically, and simply opened the door wider. 

“Are you alright?” He asked, when Alex walked around him awkwardly, his arms still firmly behind his back. 

“Uh, yeah. No. I mean, I’m fine.” Alex lifted his casted hand to brush his bangs out of his face, but only for a moment, before returning it to its position behind his back with the other one. It became clear then, that Alex was holding something. 

Willie raised an eyebrow. Alex was not fine. “You sure about that?” 

“Yeah, I...I’m just really nervous.” Alex swallowed. “But I’m fine.” 

“Nervous?” Willie furrowed his brow. “Nervous about what?” 

Alex looked like he might throw up, and he didn’t respond. It almost looked like he couldn’t, the way he opened his mouth, only to close it again immediately. 

“Or...We could talk about something else?” Willie suggested. “How’s your arm?” 

“Good, it’s good,” Alex managed. He glanced to the side, clearly unable to focus on the conversation. And then he stopped, as his eyes caught on Willie’s laundry, and he smiled. “Nice scrubs.” 

Willie followed his gaze, and blushed. The scrubs in question were white, printed with little skateboards in bright orange and turquoise colors. “Sometimes I work shifts in the pediatric ward. The kids like fun scrubs. It’s a good conversation starter, too, if they’re interested.” 

Alex was still smiling. “You talk to kids about skating?” 

“Sure,” Willie shrugged. “They get pretty cooped up. It’s nice to tell stories. Like the story of the time this guy I know went rollerblading alone at night, and broke his arm.” 

Alex groaned, but his smile didn’t waver. “You haven’t really been telling your patients about that, have you?” 

“Maybe,” Willie grinned. “Maybe not.” 

Alex shook his head. “You’re the worst.” 

“I know.” Willie’s grin widened. “Now are you going to tell me what you’ve got behind your back?” 

Some of the nervousness returned to Alex’s countenance, and he took a couple deep breaths before speaking. “Yeah. So. I know things between us in the past have been, well. Less than stellar. I was...Honestly, I was a jerk.” 

Willie’s smile started to fade. Why was Alex bringing this up again? “Yeah, you kinda were.” 

“And I feel awful about it,” Alex plowed on. “You didn’t deserve any of it. And the fact that you still helped me, despite all of that? That you’re even talking to me right now, it’s. It’s beyond me, honestly.” 

“Alex-” 

“Let me finish.” 

Willie sighed, and nodded. 

“I really screwed things up here, and I want to make it right, so I got you this.” Alex’s hands came from behind his back, and inside them was a brand new skateboard. The deck was black on top, with some hot pink grip tape (where did Alex even find that?), and a white bottom with a custom stencil with  swirly, cursive font, and the word _WOODPUSHER_ stared back up at him in bright, forest green lettering (he couldn't believe Alex remembered his favorite color). The wheels were wide, for skating ramps, white, but with rainbows on the sides. 

“Oh my…” Willie stared down at it. “Alex, I-You didn’t-” 

Alex pushed it towards him. “I wanted to. You said your old deck was too small. I got the wheels for the colors, obviously, but I also got some narrower ones, if you want. And the stencil is removable, if it’s uh. Too soon to joke about it.” 

Willie blinked. “I can’t accept this. It’s too much, and you just feel guilty, and-” 

Alex shook his head. “This isn’t supposed to be, like, a guilt thing,” he explained. “I mean, I do feel bad about everything. But I guess. This is more just to show you that things are different now, and I...I care about you, Willie. A lot.” 

Willie froze. Oh.  _ Oh _ . “Oh.” 

“...Yeah.” Alex was still holding the skateboard, looking wide-eyed and confused, like he didn’t know where to go from here. His cheeks were slightly flushed and pink, and he looked hopeful, but scared, and oh, he was adorable, wasn't he? Willie just had to put him out of his misery. 

He took the skateboard from his hands. “That’s really sweet, Alex. And I like the stencil. I can’t believe you remembered my favorite color. I didn’t think you’d remember much of anything from that night." 

Alex’s flush grew deeper, into a crimson blush. “It was pretty easy to remember. You, uh. You kind of wear it a lot. I should’ve realized before you even said anything.” 

“You notice what I wear?” That was the last straw. Willie leaned the board up against his old couch, next to the pile of half folded, half wrinkled laundry, and took a step towards Alex, completely invading his personal space. "You notice... _me_?" 

“Uh.” 

“I really hope I’m not reading this wrong.” Willie mumbled, before reaching a hand up to grab the back of Alex’s head and pull him into a kiss. It was slow and gentle, but even so Willie’s pulse raced. He pulled back quickly, still unsure, and looked up into Alex’s eyes. 

Alex's face was soft, eyes wide, but he didn’t seem upset. “You kissed me.”

“Seems like it,” Willie nodded. “Did you like it?” 

Alex blinked twice, incredulous. “You have to ask?” 

“Is that a yes?” 

In lieu of a proper answer, Alex dipped his head to close the small distance between them once again. This kiss was longer, less uncertain. Willie’s heart thudded in his chest, but soon enough the rush gave way to warmth and security. Alex’s good arm was firm around Willie’s waist, and Willie felt himself sink into the embrace, the last of his resolve crumbling down around him. And then all at once it was over, as Alex pulled back and away. 

“What’s wrong?” Willie tried to frown, but it may have been closer to a pout at the loss of contact. 

“Nothing, nothing,” Alex was quick to reassure. “I just want to make sure we’re on the same page.” 

“Oh, okay,” Willie shrugged. “Here’s my page: I’ve had a crush on you since we met, but you hated me for no reason.” 

“What?!” Alex’s jaw went slack. “You liked me that whole time?” 

“I mean, maybe not the whole time,” Willie admitted. “You  _ were _ a pretty big jerk sometimes.” 

“But...You always called me ‘fruitbooter’ and you were always teasing me? Even when I wasn’t a jerk first. And also, like. _Why me_?” 

Willie snorted. “I was flirting with you, dumbass. And you’re really asking me why? Seriously? Do you not own a mirror?” 

“Oh. Oh My God.” Alex dropped his head into his hands. “I’m so stupid.” 

“I mean...You got there eventually…” It was the best Willie could do, because  _ honestly _ .

“I cannot believe Luke was right,” Alex shook his head. “I’m never going to live this down. He is going to tell this story at our wedding someday and there’s nothing I can do about it.” 

“Our wedding?” Willie couldn’t hold back his smirk. “That’s some page you’re on. Shouldn’t we, I don’t know, go on a date first?” 

Alex turned that delightful shade of red again. “Uh. I didn’t mean-That is-” 

Willie’s smirk softened into a gentle smile. He couldn’t believe how endeared he was to Alex’s awkward stumbling. It should’ve been embarrassing, but somehow it was just adorable. “Just say yes, babe.” He dropped the pet name on purpose, and was gratified by Alex’s eyes going even wider than they were before. 

“Of course that’s a ‘yes’, I just can’t believe you’d still want to,” Alex managed. “When I realized how I felt about you, I just about wanted to throw myself off a cliff. I didn’t think I had a chance, or if I did, that I’d already ruined it.” 

“Lucky for you, I believe in second chances.” 

“So,  _ so _ goddamn lucky.” 

Willie’s cheeks hurt from smiling so much. “But also, expect some skates that say ‘fruitbooter’ in your future.” 

Alex rolled his eyes. “I wouldn’t expect anything less.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, it's over. Thank you guys so much for following this story, and for leaving all your wonderful comments. I'm not very good at responding to them, but I promise that I read them all and they all make me so happy. I can promise you I wouldn't have finished this fic without your feedback. I hope you liked the ending!


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